Extract text from Kodi thumbnails (TBN)
To convert TBN thumbnails to another format, you need Kodi or other Raster Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "Media Center Thumbnail" file type, you need software like Kodi or a similar tool.
The .TBN file extension most commonly represents a Kodi Video Thumbnail Image. These are actually standard JPG image files that have been renamed by the Kodi open-source media player (detailed on Wikipedia) to function as cover art, movie posters, or episode screenshots within its media library interface.
The primary disadvantage of the .TBN format is its lack of native recognition. Because it uses a custom extension, modern operating systems, standard image viewers, and web browsers do not realize it contains standard JPEG data. Users cannot double-click to open them on a default Windows or macOS setup, creating unnecessary friction when trying to organize, edit, or view media artwork outside of the Kodi ecosystem.
Converting .TBN to standard JPG or PNG formats is highly recommended to restore universal compatibility. Since the underlying Kodi format is already a JPEG, converting or renaming it preserves 100% of the original image quality.
However, .TBN is a highly fragmented extension used for several completely different, proprietary data types. It acts as an email message base index file for The Bat!, navigation database data for TomTom GPS systems, channel databases for ALI Corp satellite set-top boxes, and game texture files for titles like Last Chaos. These specific data variants are closed and proprietary. Standard online image converters fail to process them because they expect a picture, not a binary database. Often, only the original hardware or software can properly read or export this data. Just drag and drop your file to identify the format, view it, and convert it when possible. Our engine will analyze the internal file signatures to tell you exactly which type of .TBN file you have, allowing you to extract supported embedded media safely.
Convert.Guru analyzes your TBN file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted JPG, SKF, ITHMB and THM files.
If you want to convert TBN file to JPG, PDF, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, TIF, WEBP, ICO, CUR, PSD or PSB, you can use Kodi or similar software from the "Media Center Video Thumbnail Image" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert RAW, PNG, AI, NEF, PSB, DNG, SVG, GIF, EPS, JPG, ARW or PDF files to TBN, try Kodi or another comparable tool in the "Media Center Video Thumbnail Image" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our TBN converter.